Improved animal trap



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.DENNIS J.. OWEN, or 'SPRIN'GVILLn PENNSYLVANIA.'

Laim Patent No. 103,767, am@ May 31, 1870;

IMPROVED ANIMAL TRAP. y

The ,Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.y

To ali whom it may concern Be it'known that I, DENNIS J. OWEN, ot'Spring# ville, in the county of Susquehanna. Vand State of-Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Animal Trap; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a fnll,clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the anneked drawing `making part of thisspecification, in which- Fignrelis a. perspective view4 of the trap set.Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. The sameletters'are used in designation. of identical parts,

- This invention relates to animal traps and My improvement' consists in'a simplilied construction and arrangement of the parts` constitutingsuch a device, .as will more fully appear from the follow-ingspecification and claim;

` 1 0 enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

l In the annexed drawingv A represents the body or case of the strap,having, in this instance, one cavity, A', in which the hait is` placed.y

Upon the open end of this case the stationary jaw B is secured,extending above its upper surface for Vsome distance. Where it covers aportion of the cavi'` ity, 1t is serrated,vas shown at l1, presenting anumber of sharp points. The swingingjaw Bis pivoted to the upper e'ud ofthe stationary jaw, it being similarly serrated at its inner edge, atb', about opposite the teeth on the jaw B, and increases in width fromdits pivoted end to a point about opposite its serrations,

ytrom which point itis rounded. off, as clearly shown.

O is an angled lever pivoted upon a stud,`c,` upon the upper surface ofthe case A, one of its arms extending rearward, and terminating in ahook, whileit-s other arin leaves the fulcrum point at about a rightangle to the former, and may be slightly curved out-- ward at itsforward end. This lever is so arranged, with reference to the swingingjaw B and the swinging bait-bar E, that, 'in setting the trap,.itshooked all the' figures in-.the

arm embraces the upper end of the bait-bar, whileitsf other arm extendsto just beyond the' line' in which the edge of the swinging jaw moves,and holds'this latter in the position shown n'fig. 1, so as to 'leave-asufficient opening between the two\jaws for the animal to enter thecavity in thefcase. I

D represents a slotted'weight, which, in settingthe tmp, is placed overthe jointed .endsot' the jaws'. 1in-f medlately on releasingt-heswinging jaw from the-arm' of lever C the weight willslip down the jaws,h rin'gilrgv them together' to hold whatever game may 4have e|rtered thecavity in the case between their teeth.

E represent-sine swinging bait-bar' above referred' to, which is pivotedat e in the upper wall i'the-.c'aseg extending far enough abovethesame'to be caught by the hooked arm of' 'lever G, and below the sameinto the cavity in the case to receive the bait.l ,lt will be seen, 'byreference tovli.`2,`that, when the trap isset, the bait'end bf the baris thrown well forward, :mdf-a very slight push will turnl it on itspivot suiiicient-ly to release its upper .end from the hook of lever O,which, bavingnot-hing {hitherto-hold it,- xvill be caused to.

turn on its stud bythe swinging jaw and the weight, and the trap beclosed by the. latter.

Itis evident that vseveral traps of the aboveco'nl` struction may beused with a 'single case, by simplymaking such case many sided and witha number of cavities.

What 1I -claim 'asr my invention, and desire to sc.-vl oure by LettersPatent,

speeication in thelpresence of two subscribing wit--4 nesscs. I

D. J., OWEN.

Witnesses: l

Mmes PIoHARn, L. L. Gwen.

